How to Connect your 4G PlayBook to LTE or HSPA+ Networks

If you just picked up the new 4G LTE PlayBook, you might surprised to know that there are two types of “4G” data connections you can access. Both LTE and HSPA+ are called “4G” connections, and you can also choose which “4G” connection suits you best, or have the PlayBook choose for you.

LTE

The first is the brand-new LTE technology, which will also be arriving on BlackBerry 10 smartphones early next year. This super-fast connection can easily maintain average speeds of 22 Mbps, and can peak up to over 45 Mbps on some networks.

You can download an entire song or app in under a second! Now that’s fast! Being so new, this network is only found in the most urban areas, such as big cities.

To connect to you local LTE network with your 4G LTE PlayBook, follow these steps.

Swipe down from the top bezel to open the settings menu.

Select “Mobile Network“.

Ensure that “Data Services” is on.

Change “Network Mode” to “4G LTE“.

Close the settings menu, and you should be good to go!

4G HSPA+

The second type of “4G” is HSPA+. The same data connection found in BlackBerry 7 phones. Although slower that LTE, it is much more widespread. With respectable data speeds of 6-11 Mbps, it’s great for web browsing and having mobile data access wherever you go. When you don’t have the luxury of LTE connectivity, you can usually rely on HSPA+ to get data on your PlayBook.

Swipe down from the top bezel to open the settings menu.

Select “Mobile Network”

Ensure that “Data Services” is on.

Change “Network Mode” to “4G“.

Finally, close the settings menu.

If you’re going to be out and about and you’re not sure if you’ll have LTE data access, it may be best to set it to “automatic”. If you head back in the “Mobile Network” options in the settings menu, you can set the “Network Mode” to “4G & 4G LTE” .

Your BlackBerry 4G LTE PlayBook will judge each of the 4G signals and choose the best network for you automatically so you stay connected using the fastest connection available!